Dr. Diana McGill Named Dean of College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Diana McGill

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Dr. Diana McGill, a Northern Kentucky University alumna who has spent her entire professional career at NKU, has been named dean of the NKU College of Arts and Sciences, effective July 1, 2017.

Dr. McGill has served as interim dean since July 2016, and brings more than 25 years of experience in teaching and higher education administration. She started as an assistant professor in the NKU Department of Chemistry in 1993, and has served as associate professor, professor, and chair of the department. As interim dean, Dr. McGill worked to develop creative solutions to budget challenges that avoided staff reductions in the college. She has also helped to implement the university’s new budget model within the college.

She served as chair of the Department of Chemistry from 2003-2012, and then returned to the faculty to focus on issues such as retention, advising, and curriculum reform. Along with several other STEM faculty, Dr. McGill also helped direct an NSF S-STEM grant that supports low-income STEM students through a highly successful cohort model.

“Diana’s career at NKU has centered on our students,” said NKU Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Sue Ott Rowlands. “In the classroom, she is an outstanding teacher who cares about the success of her students. Beyond the classroom, Diana has provided great leadership within the college and the Department of Chemistry. NKU is fortunate to have her, and we look forward to the continued growth of the College of Arts and Sciences.”

Dr. McGill takes over the largest college at NKU, accounting for 54 percent of the university’s credit hours awarded. The college offers five master’s degrees, 50 bachelor’s degrees, and two associate degrees. It consists of the School of the Arts and 10 other academic departments, as well as the Center for Applied Anthropology, the Burkhardt Consulting Center, the Center for Integrative Natural Science and Mathematics, the Center for Environmental Education, and the Center for Public History. It also works closely with the Kentucky Center for Mathematics, which is housed at the university.

“I am excited to assume this new role at NKU,” said Dr. McGill. “The university has experienced tremendous growth during my time here, and as we approach our 50th anniversary, I am very enthusiastic about our future. On behalf of our students and community, I look forward to working with our faculty and staff, the administration, and my fellow deans to take NKU to even greater heights.”

As dean, Dr. McGill’s principal responsibilities will be to maintain and promote academic excellence; provide leadership and vision for the college; develop and support students, faculty, and staff; enhance and effectively allocate college resources; and be a key collaborative player on NKU’s academic leadership team.

Dr. McGill earned her B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Chemistry, both from NKU. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at Harvard University, and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.